As the prevalence of electronic mail ("e-mail") and voice mail systems increases, subscribers feel a growing need to retrieve such mail virtually as soon as it arrives. However, to promptly receive an incoming message requires that a subscriber who is away from his or her home or office carry a wireless telephone or a portable computer. In many cases this is not a practical approach because of the size and expense of such devices. However, it may be sufficient if the subscriber is simply notified when such mail arrives. Once notified, the user can then use a nearby telephone or computer terminal to retrieve the message.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a small, inexpensive device that can notify a subscriber when an e-mail or voice mail message has arrived.